Bottle filling and capping machine.



T. L. VALERHJS. BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-16, I915. 1,290,42

Patented Jan. 7, 1919,

14 4/ T/Mij/WMW ore glfaleu'us (KQWJQZW f T. L. VALERIUS. BOTTLE mum; AND CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR- !6. IQIS.

Patented Jan. 7,1919.

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l I n n I I I I I 0 v Ink 24 T. L. VALERIUS BOTTLE FILLING AND CAPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1915.

1,290,424. Patented Jan. 7,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- @QTWZQW f 1 gym quickly commodate bottles of any size. To this end.

ITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

. :1 ononn L. VALERIUS, or FORT ,A'rKINsoN, wIscoNsIN, ASSIGNOR. TO THE cm-1mm: rncxnen MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

BOTTLE FILLING AlTD CAPPING MACHINE.

a aaoaaa.

To all whom. it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, THEODORE L. VALE- ntus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of J eiferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Filling and Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates an improved machine for acting upon bottles, and is herein shown as embodied in a combined machine adapted to fill and apply the disk caps to bottles used for milk and cream. Certain features of the invention, however, are applicable to separate bottle-filling machines or bottle-capping machines as well as to a combined machine of the character mentioned.

Milk bottles are of d'fferent sizes which var-yin height and diameter according to the size, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to produce a machine which is and conveniently adjustable to acmeans is provided for varyingthe distance between the filling and capping devices, on

the one hand, and the bottle-supporting means, on the other. so that the filling and capping devices will be positioned at a suitable height to operate upon the particular size of bottlesbeing passed through the machine. Also the slide for horizontally advancing the bottles is arranged to be adjusted to different positions so as to properly center the different sizes of bottles with respect to the filling and capping devices.

The invention also refers to an improved mechanism for coiiperatively elevating and advancing the bottles.

Various other ob ects of an ancillary na ture and objects relating to details of construction will be understood from the following description.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with a [)OltiOllOf the base broken away to disclose the mechanism Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view illustrating one of the filling valves and the means for suspending it in iuoperative position. Fig. 4 is a fragmental'plan view on a reduced scale showing the valve Specification of Letters Patent.

slide removed.

Patented Jan. '2, 1919.

Application filed April ,16, 1915. Serial No. 21,640.

suspending means. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional View through the lower portion of the machine taken In the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 66 of Fig. 2, showing the bottle-supporting and advancing means in top: plan view. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section in'the same plane as Fig. 6. but with the bottles and them advancing The preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings and will be herein described in detail, but it should be understood that I do not thereby intend tolimit the invention to the construction disclosed, the scope of the invention being pointed out in the appended claims.

The machine comprises a suitable support in the form of a hollow base 10 of rectangular or frusto-pyramidal form. A drip-pan 11 is mounted upon and closes the upper end of the base. and a bottle-supporting table 12 is mounted upon the upper ends of a plurality of studs 13 which rise from the dripan 11.. 9 (Fig. 1) indicates a drain ipe or the drip-pan. The middle portion 0 the table 12 is cut out as shown in Fig. 7 to accomniodate the vertical movements of the -of the machine as It appears in Fig. 1,.is

hereinreferred to as the front end, the bottles being placed on this end of the table by the attendant and being then automatically moved rearwardly step-by-step throughthe machine. 7

Two. standards 14; are mounted for vertical sliding movement in bearings 15 on the drip-pan 11, and on the upper ends of these standards the milk tank 16 is supported. The tank is equipped with a suitable number of filling valves 17, which may be similar to that shown in my prior atent No. 888.769. there being in the present instance four rows of valves, each row having four valves therein. The construction of these alves and the means for suspending one or more rows in inoperative position will be described later. On one side of the tank 16 is mounted a bracket 18 in which is supported a row of bottle-capping devices 19 adapted to be actuated by the upward movement of the bottles. A capping device of this character is disclosed in a copending application filed by Theodore L. Valerius and Olaf Larsen, Serial No. 850,123, (Patent No. 1,139,931) and I have deemed'it unnecessary to illustrate the details herein;

The lower ends of the standards 14 are scre\\-'-threaded and are mounted for vertical movement in suitable guide bearings 20 on the outer sides ofthe base 10. 'Interiorlythreaded sleeves 21 surround the lower ends of the standards 14 and rest upon the bearings 20 to support said standards. The sleeves 21 have spiral gears 22 fixed thereon and meshing with spiral gears 23 fixed on a horizontal shaft 24 which extends through the base, the latter shaft having a. squared end adapted to receive a wrench or crank (not shown) whereby said shaft may berotated to cause vertical movement of the standards 14 and therefore of the tank 16. A nut 25 surrounding each standard 14 beneath the bearing 15 is arranged lock the standard against movement after It has been adjusted to position the tank at the desired height.

The bottle-elevating and advancing mechanism is driven from an electric motor 26 which is mounted, in the present instance, beneath the projecting rear end of the table 12. The drive-pulley 27 of this motor is connected by a belt 28 to a pulley 29 loose on a. shaft 30 which is mounted in the base 10. The pulley 29 has clutch teeth thereon (Fig. arranged to be engaged by a slidable clutch collar 31 which is splined on the shaft. 30, said collar being slidable by means of a. forked arm 32 which is fixed on a rock shaft- 33 running from front-to rear along the base and having hand-levers 34 on both ends thereof. The rock-shaft 33 is mounted in bearings 35 upon the outer ends of two transverse tie-and-brace rods 36 which extend from side to side of the base '10. In both ends of the base are door openings which are closed by doors 37. V

A pinion 38 is fixed on the shaft 30 and meshes with a gear 39 fixed on an intermediate shaft 40, the latter shaft having a pinion 41 thereon which. meshes with a.

' gear 42. The latter gear is bolted to the hub 43 of a rotary cam member 44 which is loosely mounted upon a transverse shaft 45 fixed in the base 10. -Thecam member is confined between collars 46 and 47 on the shaft. 48 indicates a. friction device which surrounds the hub of the gear 39, said device comprising two complementary semicylindrical' halves yieldingly pressed together and provided with an extension or arm 49 which overlies and bears against the shaft 45. This friction device is provided for the purpose of preventing over-running of the mechanism by momentum The bottle elevator comprises a post 50 mounted for vertical sliding movement in a bearing 51 on the drip-pan 11, the lower end of said post, comprising two bifurcated plates 52 which straddle the collar 46 and the hub of the cam member 4-4, respectively, for guiding the post. A roller 53 is mounted on a pin fixed in the plates 52 and bears against the periphery of the cam member 44, whereby the rotation of the cam member will operate the elevator. 011 the upper end of the post 50 is mounted a platform 54 having vertically disposed ribs 55 running longitudinally of the machine and each positioned beneath alongitudinal row of hottles. On the upper ends of these ribs are fixed horizontal plates 56 upon which the bottles rest. Each plate 56 is long enough to support six bottles.

The bottle-supporting table 12 is provided on Its upper face with two ribs 57 positioned at opposite sides of the central opening 58 in the table and running lengthwise of the table. At its rear end the table is also provided with three intermediate ribs 59 running from the rear edge of the opening 58 parallel to the ribs 57 and adapted to form guide channels for the rows of bottles on the table. A bottle-advancing slide 60 comprises a transverse portion 61 atits front end and a plurality of parallel bars 62 extendin rearwardly therefrom and having laterally extending lugs 63 which are so located as to provide individual spaces between the bars for the bottles. The lugs 63 are beveled on their leading edges so that each pair provides a crotch for centering a bottle. The bars 62 have grooves on their under sides to receive the ribs 57 and 59 on the table whereby the slide is guided for horizontal reciprocation. The bars are not connected with each other except by the transverse portion 61 on the front end of the slide so that the ribs 55 and plates 56 on the elevator may pass up freely between the bars 62 to permat the bottles to be raised to a' plane above the slide 60. While the bottles are held raised the slide is moved forwardly free of the bottles- The plates 56 of the elevator are suitably shaped or notched, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to pass the lugs 63-on the bars 62. Said bars are provided on their front ends near the transverse portion 61 with upstanding guard flanges 64 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) which extend between the bottles of the first two rows to facilitate placing the bottles in their spaces.

The slide 60 is arranged to be reciprocated by two arms 65 (Fig. 2) located at opposite sides of the base 10 and fixed at their lower ends upon a rock-shaft 66 mounted in the base, the upper ends of said arms being bifurcated to receive two pins 65 projecting from opposite sides of the slide. The slide may be readily removed from the machine bottles.

to facilitate cleansing by lifting it o'fi' its guide ribs 57, 59, and out of association with the actuating arms 65.

The shaft 66 (see Figs. 1 and 2) is rocked by n arm 67 fixed thereon, the lower end of said arm being connected by an adjustable link 71 to the lower end of' a lever 7 2 pivoted on a shaft 73. A roller 74 is mounted at the joint between the link 71 and lever 72 and is arranged to bear against the periphery of the cam member 44. The upper end of the lever 72 is attached to one end of coiled tension spring 75, the opposite end of which spring is anchored to the base 10. This spring acts to move the slide 60 in the direction opposite to that caused by the cam 44$ The link 71 comprises a central rod having oppositely pitched screw threads on its ends which engage in heads attached to the arm 67 and lever 72, respectively. A hand wheel 68 having notches 68 in its periphery is fixed on the middle of this rod and a latch 69 pivoted on the arm 67 is arranged'to engage in the notches to lock the wheel. both of the ribs 57 on the table 12 are provided with gage marks 70 to indicate the correct position of the slide 60 on the table for the different sizes of bottles, the mark nearest the front of the table being for quart bottles and the others, in order, for pints,

By adjustwhich the lugs 63 will properly center the In the operation of the machine, the attendant stands at the front end and places four bottles inthe front transverse row of spaces in the slide 60 at each reciprocation of said slide, thebottles resting at first on the table 12 and later being pushed onto the plate 56 of the elevator. The slide is moved rearwardly by the cam 44 the distance between two transverse rows of filling valves on the tank 16. 'While the slide is in the position shown in Fig. 1', the elevator is raised,-the plates 56 and ribs of the elevator passing up between the bars 62 of the slide to carry the bottles into a plane above the slide. The latter is then moved forwardly to its starting position so that when the elevator is again lowered, the bottles will occupy rows of spaces next rearwardly from those previously occupied and the front row of spaces 'will be empty] to receive another set of bottles.

When filling quart bottles, each transverse row is raised into successive associa tion with each of the four transverse rows of filling valves, being partially filled at each 1 of the'first three rows, and the filling being completed in the last row. After the bottles pass the capping devices 19 they are moved onto'the rear end of the table 12 and tends up to a point above One or.

' two rows, nd with quarter. pints three rows are suspended, leaving only the last row in use for quarter pints. This is accomplished in the following manner:

Each of the valves 17 (see Fig. 3) com- 7 prises a milk tube 77 which connnunicates at its upper end with the interior of the tank 16 and is vertically slidable in a bearmg 78 in the bottom of the tank. On the lower end of this tube is threaded a bell 79 and a yieldable' bottle closure 80. Within the tube is a smaller vent tube 81 which exthe level of the liquid; On the lower end 81 is avalve member or head 82 which closes the lower end of the milk tube 77. A coiled compression spring 83 surrounding the milk tube tends to hold the latter against the valve member 82. When in normal operating position, all of these parts are supported by springmember 84 which rests upon the bottom of the tank or the hearing 78 and engages a collar 85 on the vent tube 81. The springs 83 and 84 thus work against each other.

Referring to Fig. 4, which shows a portion of the tank 16 in its longer dimension, 86- indicates a frame which may be of angle iron and rests upon the upper edge of the tank. A similar frame 87 is secured to the frame 86, but is shorter than the latter,

--so .as to provide. cross-beams for supporting one or more 'bars 88. Each of these bars has four openings 89 therein ofsufiicient size to receive collars 90 which are fixed upon the upper ends of the respective vent tubes 8 of the fillingvalves. When it is desired to suspend a row of filling valves in inoperative position, oneof the bars 88 is laid across the frame 87 in a direction transverse in their suspended position, .asv shown in Fig. 3, the filling valves are .at such height as to be out of theway of the'bottles when raised by the elevator.

When a row of filled bottles is raised against the row of capping devices 19, said devices rise in the continuing upward movement of the bottles, such rising movement of the vent tube.

tioning bottles directly beneath said operatof the capping devices causing them to be actuated to cap the bottles.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for operating upon uncased bottles, a table, a )lurality of operat ing de'vices'supported ove said table and arranged in spaced relation in a row eXtemLv ing longitudinally of the machine, means for raising and lowering bottles relative to said devices, bottle-advancing means for posiing. devices, said means including a bar extending longitudinally of thetable and having a plurality of laterally projecting devices thereon spaced apart and each being of a length adapted to directly engage with a bottle to move it, and mechanism for reciprocating said bar adjustable to vary the initial position thereof, said raising and lowering means bein adapted to permit when in its raised posltion the movement of the laterally projecting devices across the path of up and down movement of the bottles.

2. In a machine for automatically operating upon uncased bottles, a table, a plurality of operating devices supported above said' table and arranged in spaced relation in a row extending longitudinally of the machine, means for directly engaging the bottles to be operated upon to advance them to a position beneath said operating devices, bottle-elevating means operable to raise and lower the bottles to and from said devices, said advancing means being-movable across the path of up and down movement of the bottles when the elevator is in its raised position, and mechanism for actuating the bottle positioning and elevating means, whereby while the elevating means is supporting bottles in raised position thepositioning means is returning from its advanced position beneath the operating devices to receivea new supply of bottles.

3. In a machine for operating upon bottles, a base having a table, a tank, means for-adjustably supporting said tank above said table, a plurality of filling and capping devices mounted on said tank and arranged in spaced relation in a row extending longitudinally of the machine, bottle-advancing means including a bar mounted on the table and having devices adapted to engage directly with bottles upon the table, an elevator directly beneath said filling and capping devices, and means for longitudinally reciprocating said bar, said bottle-engaging devices being adapted when the bar is moved to position the individual bottles directly beneath said operating devices, said actuating means being adjustable to vary the initial position of the bar, and the devices on the bar being reciprocable across the path of up and down movement of the bottles when the elevator is in its raised position.

4. A machine for filling and capping bottles having a tank, a plurality of rows of filling valves on the bottom of the tank, a row of capping devices carried by the tank, said valves and capping devices being actuated by pressure of bottles against their lower ends, a support for rows of bottles,

means for pressing rows of bottles against said valves and capping devices, a slide having beveled portions adapted tocenter various sizes of bottles, means for reciprocating the slide, said reciprocating means being adjustable to "ary the position of the slide for various sizes of bottles, means for raising and lowering the tank to adjust the position of the valves and filling devices in accordance with variations in the'size of the bottles, and means for holding selected valves elevated out of position to be engaged by bottles.

5. A machine for filling and capping bottles comprising a suitable base, a tank located above said base and having a plurality of transverse rows of filling valves, a row of capping devices mounted on the rear side of said tank, upright standards rising from the base and supporting said tank, an elevator mounted beneath the tank and having a plurality of longitudinally extending supporting members for the bottles, a horizontal slide mounted for reciprocation above the normal or lowered position of the elevator, said slide comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending members providing between them spaces to receive individual bottles, said spaces being adapted to permit the supporting members on the elevator to pass up therethrough and raise the bottles into a plane above the slide and into association with the filling valves and capping devices, and mechanism for coiiperatively actuating the elevator and the slide to cause the latter to advance bottles while theelevator is lowered and to make its return movement free of tlie bottles while the latter are held elevated. v

6. A machine for acting upon bottles comprising a suitable base, operating means mounted above said base, an elevator mounted in the base beneath said operating means,

a horizontal slide mounted beneath the operating means and above the normal or lowered position of the elevator, said slide having bottle-receiving spaces therein arranged to permit the bottle-supporting portions of the elevator to pass upwardly therethrough and hold the bottles elevated into association with said operating means and in a plane above the slide while the latter is moved. in one direction, and mechanism for coiiperatively actuating the elevator and the slide.

tinuous spaces running in the direction of. reciprocation of the slide and adapted to permit the bottle-supporting portions of the elevator to pass upwardly therethrough and to permit theslide to make its return movement while the elevator is raised, and mechanism for cooperatively actuating the elevator and the slide.

prising a suitable base, operating means bottle spaces and being adapted to receive ating mounted above the base, an elevator mounted in the base beneath said operating means and adapted to raise bottles to the latter, aslide comprising a plurality of members'ex tending in the direction of reciprocation of the slide and connected together at one end only, said members being shaped to provide between them the bottle supporting portions on the elevator, and means for cooperatively actuating the elevator and the slide.

9. A machine for acting upon bottles comprising a suitable base, operating means located above said base, an elevator beneath said operating means, horizontal slide means located beneath said operating means and above the normal or lowered position of said elevator, said slide having means adapted to engage individually a plurality of transverse rows of bottles and move the bottles horizontally, and the elevator being arranged to lift the bottles tosaid operating means and into a plane above said slide, means to permit the latter to make its re turn movement free of the bottles, and means for cooperatively actuating the elevator and the slide means.

10. In a machine for acting upon bottles,

the combination of the operating means, an

elevator for raising bottles to said means, a horizontal slide located between the oper means and the elevator, said slide comprising a plurality of bars extending in the direction of reciprocation of the slide and having means to engage the bottles for advancing them, said elevator having a pmrality of upstanding ribs running in the direction of reciprocation of the slide and positioned so as to pass up between said bars and raise the bottles to a plane above the bars, whereby the slide may return free of the bottles, and mechanism for cooperatively actuating the elevator and the slide.

11. A machine for filling bottles com rising a suitable base, standards rising tiereupper end of said from, a tank supported by said standards and provided with plurality of filling valves, an elevator for raising bottles to said valves, a table mounted on the base and having an opening through which said elevator may pass, slide means mounted on said table and individually engaging each bottle for horizontally moving the bottles step-by-step, a rock-shaft mounted in the base, two arms fixed on said shaft. and connected to said slide means for reciprocating the latter, a rotary cam mounted in the base,

and means operable by the cam for rocking said shaft, the cam being arranged to operate the elevator.

12. A machine for filling bottles compris- .ing a suitable base, standards rising there- 8. A machine for acting upon bottles come from, a tank supported by said standards and providedvwith a series of filling valves,

an elevator mounted int-he base and adapted to raise bottles to said valves. rotary cam means mounted in the base and adapted to actuate said elevator, a horizontal slide adapted to move the bottles step-by-step horizontally, a rock-shaft mounted in the base, two arms fixed at their lower ends on said rock-shaft and extending upwardly into operative association withsaid slide, a downwardly extending arm fixed on the rock-shaft, a lever pivoted in the base and operable by said cam means, said lever being connected to said downwardly eXtending arm, whereby the cam means will move said slide in one direction, and a coiled spring connected to said lever and arranged to move, he slide in the opposite direction.

13. A machine for ing a hollow rectangular base, a drip-pan mounted on the upper edge of said base, a table mounted on the drip-pan, a horizontal slide mounted on, said table, standards rising from the base, a tank mounted on the with a plurality of filling valves, an elevator for raising bottles to said valves, means for reciprocating said slide, and cam means arranged to actuate said elevator and said slide reciprocating means.

14. A machine for filling bottles cor'npris ing a suitable base, a drip pan mounted on the upper end of said. base and hav ng a. ventral hearing, an elevator comprising a post slidable in said bearing and having ini'ureated guide portions at its lower end, a shaft mounted in the base, a cam member on said shai't. means'for rotating said 'cam member. the bifurcated portions of the elerater posls straddling said shaft and said cam mem er. a roller carried by the post and resting upon the rain member. a platform on the upper end of the elevator post, a tank provided with filling valves mounted upon the base above said platform, horizontal slide means arranged to advance bottles ioo filling bottles comprisstandards and provided horizontally above the elevator, and means operable by said cam member for reciproeating said slide means.

15. A machine for filling bottles compris ing a suitable base, an elevator supported therein, a tank mounted on the base above said elevator and provided with filling valves, horizontal slide means for advancing bottles, said slide means having a series of spaces to receive the bottles, guide means upon which the slide means is reciprocably mounted, one of said means being construct-- valves, means for raising each row of bot-' tles into successive association with every I'0W ofvalves, and means for'suspending one or more rows of valves in inoperative position.

17 A machine for filling bottles comprising a tank, a plurality of rows of filling I Valves mounted on the bottom of the tank,

and means for raising a row of said valves into inoperative position. 7

18. A machine for filling bottles comprising a tank, a plurality of rows of filling valves mounted on the bottom of the tank, means for horizontally advancing rows of bottles beneath said valves step-by-step the distance between adjacent rows of valves, means for causing relative vertical approaching movement between the tank and the valves on the one hand and the. set of bottles on the other, whereby to bring the bottles into association with the valves and open the latter to discharge liquid into the bottles, and means for suspending a row of said valves at such height that the suspended valves will not be opened by the bottles .durmg the mentioned approaching movement.

. 19. A machine for filling bottles comprismg a tank, a plurality o valves mounted thereonand each having a vent tube, and means for suspending certain of said valves in inoperative position comprising a bar adapted to be supported at the upper portion of the tank, said bar having openings therein through which the vent tubes may pass, collars on the vent tubes, and clips arranged to engage the said collars and rest uponsaid bar.

20. A bottle-filling machine having, in combmation, a tank having a plurality of transverse rows of filling valves, an elevator beneath the tank and havmg a plurality of them spaces to receive individual bottles,

said spaces being adapted to permit the supporting members on the elevator to pass up therethrough and raise the bottles into a plane above the slide and into association with the filling valves, and mechanism for coiiperatively actuating the elevator and the slide to cause the latter to advance bottles while the elevator is lowered and to make its return movement free of the bottles while the latter are held elevated.

21. A machine for operating upon bottles comprising a table, a tank having two filling valves, a standard for supporting said tank above said table, a capping device also mounted on said tank,-reciprocatory means for engaging directly with a bottle to move it step by step from a position beneath one fillin valve to a position beneath the other and om the last filling valve to a position berieath said capping device, an elevator for raising and lowering the bottle after each movement by said moving means until it has been operated upon by the capping de vice, said filling valves and capping device being automatically operable by the engagement of-the bottle therewith, and mechanism for coiiperatively actuating said moving means and said elevator.

22. In a machine for operating upon uncased bottles, a table having an openin therein, a plurality of devices supported above said opening in the table arranged in a row extending longitudinally of the machine and each operable automatically by the engagement of the bottle therewith, bottle-advancing means including a plurality of laterally projecting devices each arranged to directly engage with a bottle to move it beneath the operating devices, and means for raising and lowering bottles normally positioned beneath said device's, said bottle-advancing devices bei o erable across the opening in the table While the 'ra and lowering means is elevated.

-l in a machine for operating upon uncased bottles, a table, a plurality of operating devices supported above said table and arranged in a row extending longitudinally of the machine, bottle-a vancing means adapted to position bottles directly beneath said operating devices, said means includ' a bar exten longitudinally of the table and having a p urahtyof laterally projecting devices adapted to directly engage with the bottles supported on the table, an eleva- .said table, means located above the table and forming a passageway of only sufficient width to receive a single row of bottles, said passageway being in same vertical plane as said row of operating devices, said table having 'an opening beneath said row of operating devices, and an elevator reciprocable through said opening and passagewa to raise and lower bottles relative to sai devices, the means forming said passageway including a member reciprocable to advance bottles in said passageway.

tle engaging 25. A machine for operating upon uncased bottles having, in combination, a table having an opening therein, a row of 0perating devices supported above said opening, means forming a passageway of only sufficient width to receive a single row of bottles,.said passageway being in same vertical plane as said row of operating devices and said means including a member having botdevices thereon, and an elevator reciprocable through said opening and passageway to raise and lower bottles rela tive to said devices, said member being reciprocable to advance sageway.

26. A machine for operating upon uncased bottles having, in combination, a table, a row of operatin devices supported above said table, bottle a vancing means including a member located above the table having bar having devices bottles in said pas-.

bottle-engaging devices thereon and operable 1n a plane parallel to said row of operating devices, said table having an opening beneath said row of operating devices, and an elevator reciprocable through said opening and passageway to raise and lower bottles relative to said devices, bein reciprocable to move its bottle-engagsaid member ing evices across the opening in thetable to advance bottles in said passageway and to return for a new supply of bottles when the elevator is in its raised position.

27. In amachine of the class described, a bottle-supporting table havin an opening therein, an elevator reciproca le through said opening, and means for advancing uncased bottles comprising a bar having devices each adapted to directly engage with a bottle, said devices-being movable across said opening while the elevator is raised.

28. In a machine of the class described,

an elevator, and means for moving bottles onto and oil from said elevator including a thereon for directly engaging bottles to be moved, said devices bemg movement of the bottles when the elevator is in its raised position.

29. In a machine of the class described,

an elevator comprising a plate having a series of notches therein, and means for moving bottles onto and off from said elevator including a plurality of bottle-engaging devices spaced apart and projecting laterally into said notches in the elevator plate in the movement of the elevator.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE L. VALERIUS. In the presence of ROY LAWRENCE, ARNOLD B. KUENIMAN.

movable across the path of up and down 

